The administration is fashioning a narrative that suggests budget cuts may be necessary because the nation’s economy may remain stagnant. Europe’s financial crisis also looms as a potential threat.

“There are forces beyond the state’s control,” Brownback spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag said last week. “There’s still a great deal of uncertainty with the economy.”

Citizens for Tax Justice reacted to the governor’s plan by saying, “looks like the ‘spin room’ in Topeka has been busy lately.” After all, no one (and particularly no one in Europe) forced Brownback to sign a huge tax cut. Brownback justified the move by saying it would boost the Kansas economy, though there is scant evidence to back up that assertion.

Under Brownback’s plan, the richest Kansans will receive tax breaks worth about $20,000, while the poorest residents will actually see their taxes go up due to the elimination of tax credits that aid the poor.